Xi has given a five-minute speech at a reception attended by foreign leaders invited to the parade.
"Eighty years ago, after 14 years of bloody struggle, the Chinese people completely defeated the Japanese militarist aggressors and declared the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War," he said.
"This was a historic turning point for the Chinese nation - marking the shift from a period of deep national crisis toward great national rejuvenation. It was also a major turning point in the development of the world," Xi said, reiterating communist party rhetoric about the end of WW2.
Xi said that China will "never forget the foreign governments and international friends" that had helped the country resist aggression. At this point, he didn't single out the US, even though Donald Trump expressed hope that Xi would thank the US help in ending the war in 1945.
There is, however, a veiled message for the only world economy stronger than China.
"Strength may prevail for a time, but over the long arc of history, it is reason that wins," Xi said. "Justice, light, and progress will always triumph over evil, darkness, and reaction."
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